Report: King's son interested in buying into Mets

Monday

Jan 31, 2011 at 4:13 PMJan 31, 2011 at 4:14 PM

Martin Luther King Jr.'s oldest son is reportedly interested in becoming a minority owner of the New York Mets. The New York Post reported Sunday that Martin Luther King III was part of a bid that includes former Mets first baseman Ed Kranepool, Donn Clendenon Jr. and television executive Larry Meli. Clendenon's father was MVP of the Mets' 1969 World Series victory.

NEW YORK (AP) — Martin Luther King Jr.'s oldest son is reportedly interested in becoming a minority owner of the New York Mets.

The New York Post reported Sunday that Martin Luther King III was part of a bid that includes former Mets first baseman Ed Kranepool, Donn Clendenon Jr. and television executive Larry Meli. Clendenon's father was MVP of the Mets' 1969 World Series victory.

In a statement released to The Associated Press, King said there had been much discussion about his participation in the acquisition of the Mets. He said it was premature to make those discussions public, but said in the statement that he valued diversity among owners in pro sports.

"I believe in the merit and American value of creating an example, and, if I personally, or as part of a collective, can advance the vision of a more diverse ownership group in professional sports, domestically or internationally, then, like my father, I am prepared to act in that spirit," he said.

Meli said that King, who runs the King Center in Atlanta, is coming to New York this week to meet with Mets owner Fred Wilpon and his son, chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon.

The Wilpons said Friday that they were looking to sell a 20 percent to 25 percent interest in the team. The announcement came after they were named in a lawsuit from the trustee trying to reclaim money for the victims of the Bernard Madoff swindle.

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